Carriage horse that died in NYC's Central Park ate toxic plant, necropsy says

The carriage horse that collapsed in Central Park died from eating a "highly toxic" plant, according to a preliminary diagnosis.

Deniz, a 16-year-old gelding, died on June 9. TWU Local 100, which represents carriage horse drivers, said there were no signs of the horse being ill. 

While the final results of the necropsy are pending, pathologists stated they found plant needles from Japanese yews inside the horse's stomach, mouth and intestines. 

The plant, which is non-native and is for ornamental purposes, is poisonous to horses. It contains powerful toxins that interfere with the heart's electric signals. This leads to irregular heart rhythms and can lead to sudden cardiac arrest, according to the report. 

The yew plant is toxic to all species, according to the American College of Veterinary Pharmacists. 

"A substantial amount of the plant material was present in the stomach and intestine. It was subjectively interpreted as enough to be lethal," the report states.   

Union says horse handlers weren't warned of toxic plants

The union said the horse died because Central Park officials "never warned anyone that there were deadly yew plants in the park."

The union said Deniz "paused and chomped on a shrub planted along the curb" on the day Deniz died. 

"Deniz's tragic death was not caused by neglect or abuse or the fact he was a carriage horse – as some animal rights activists and elected officials claimed," TWU Administrative Vice President Alexander Kemp said. 

"This could have been any of the carriage horses, police horses, or recreational riding horses that use the park. Who knows how many dogs spent a day in the park and later died. God forbid a child puts Yew needles or a branch in his or her mouth," TWU Local 100 shop steward and horse driver Christina Hansen said. 

Central Park Conservancy pushes back 

The Central Park Conservancy pushed back on the TWU's claims. 

"TWU has now demonstrated how their own negligence has resulted in this unfortunate incident, since NYC Parks rules plainly forbid horses from eating vegetation anywhere across our 843 acres," the Conservancy said in a statement. "The same rule requires carriage drivers and operators to attend to their horses at all times in order to keep them safe and healthy. Perhaps if they had, Deniz would not have suffered as he did, and died." 

They are pushing to ban horse carriages from the city.

"For the safety of visitors, other animals, and the horses themselves, we continue to support a ban on carriage horse rides in the Park," the Conservancy said in its press release. 

Poison plants? "We need to look into that," Hochul says

CBS News New York's Marcia Kramer asked Gov. Kathy Hochul about the finding that Deniz died from eating a poisonous plant. 

"We need to look into that and find out, make sure that there aren't any other animals - a dog could be exposed to that as well. So we want to make sure all of the plants that we have animals accessible to are safe," Hochul said. 

So does Hochul think horse carriages should be banned?

"And so this is part of the New York experience for many. We're always happy to look at the options. But it's a city decision, and this is something that they want to continue. And so, I've got a lot of issues only Albany has to worry about in the state. I'd like to leave some of the ones for the city to worry about; let that stay in their hands," Hochul said. 

Carriage horse controversy

The controversy around using these horses in the city has been ongoing for decades. There have been several horse-related incidents in the park over the past 13 months that have reignited the push to ban them. 

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has said he supports removing carriage horses from Central Park. 

"I think in Central Park, what we've seen is a lot of concern about the welfare of these horses, and I want to figure out a way for us to actually get to the end of that path," he previously said.   

A bill called Ryder's Law was introduced to the New York City Council, proposing to ban the carriages. Another piece of legislation to counter Ryder's Law was also introduced, calling for a comprehensive study on horse health and stricter driving training.